Chipmaking equipment market fell 31% in 2008, says SEMI

LONDON  Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment fell to $29.52 billion in 2008, down 31 percent on 2007, according to trade association Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).

Spending declined by double-digits for all the regions tracked. Severe cutbacks in spending in Taiwan followed a record year of spending. In the overall contracting global market, Japan was the region with the highest amount of spending in 2008 with $7.04 billion in equipment sales. In second place, the North America market had $5.63 billion in sales.

The data is compiled from data submitted by members of SEMI and the Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ).